To old friends
by Julimay
Summary: Madison Queller receives a Christmas card she hadn't expected. But it's got her smiling. She's been right all along. Kate and Maddie meet up after seven years of no contact. They have a lot to talk about.


Maddison Queller slipped out of her heels as soon as she entered her apartment and sighed in relief. She loved heels but she didn't love what they did to her feet. She placed the mail she had taken upstairs with her on the counter before she slipped off her coat and hung it.

„Honey? Are you home?" Max called from the living room and came around the corner a second later.

„Hey" she smiled at her husband. They were married now for five years.

„Hi" he whispered back against her mouth, one hand on her back, the other on her slightly swollen belly. They'd been trying for a baby ever since they were married but just now had it finally worked. They had almost broken up because they had both been so frustrated but now finally, finally she was pregnant and they were overjoyed and more in love than they had ever been before.

After a few moments of kissing she pulled back a little.

„Did you bring the mail up with you? I'm still waiting for that letter from the lawyer. He said he would sort out the paperwork for the new restaurant before Christmas but I still haven't heard from him" Max asked.

They had met at a seminar for successful restaurant management six and a half years back. Just after Maddie had opened Q3 and things had been a little difficult because of her murdered chef. Max had been in the process of opening his first restaurant and they had hit it of pretty fast. Since then Maddie had opened another two restaurants and Max had actually opened five all over New York.

Despite their similar professions they weren't managing their restaurants together since they both thought that nothing good could come out of working with your significant other.

„Sure it's on the counter" Maddie answered his question. „Do you have time to have lunch together before you have to head out?" she asked while she handed him the mail and headed for the kitchen to make a salad.

„Yeah, I still have another hour left. Can I help you with something, honey?" he asked. When she told him no he sat down at the kitchen table and started looking through the mail. He read a letter for a few minutes but it was just a bill and he put it aside.

He kept sorting the mail, making a pile for Maddie, one for himself and one for the both of them. It was insane how many letters they were getting. Since it was only a few days until Christmas there were a lot of cards from their relatives and friends too. He put them all on an extra pile. The last card caught his attention. He didn't know a single person on this card. Not the tall blue-eyed man, nor the gorgeous brunette woman he was hugging to his side, nor the baby the woman was holding. This certainly weren't friends or relatives of him and they weren't friends of Maddie either as far as he knew.

„Maddie, who are these people?" he asked holding up the card for her to see. His wife walked over to him from the kitchen island, took the card from his hands and then looked at it.

Her jaw hit the floor. Staring back at her was a widely smiling Kate Beckett in the arms of a smiling Richard Castle holding a baby in front of her. All of them were wearing kevlar vests. Even the baby. Written on Kate's was _police._ No surprise there. Written on Rick's was _writer_ which was strange enough but the most outlandish thing was the baby's Kevlar which had written _baby_ on it.

„I so knew it!" Maddie exclaimed. She hadn't really thought about her high school friend in a long time. They had lost contact again shortly after the case. She had been so busy with sorting things out at Q3 and then she'd met Max and had been busy with work and being in a serious relationship.

„What?" Max asked confused. Maddie looked at him, grinning.

„Remember when I told you about the murder of my chef at Q3?" she asked. „This is Kate Beckett. The detective working the case and my former high school friend. I wanted to invite her to our wedding but she never replied to the invitation, remember?"

„Ah yes, you told me about her. Is he the writer who's been following her?" Max asked, Maddie had only mentioned her briefly. She nodded. She was still giddy about the fact that she'd been right.

She looked down at the card again. Kate looked so happy, her eyes were sparkling with joy. The baby showed a toothless smile. Maddie couldn't see if it was a boy or a girl since the clothes under the kevlar were pretty gender-neutral but it looked happy and cute, even with the slightly outlandish baby vest. But somehow it fitted for them.

A little Castle baby.

She couldn't believe it. She turned the card.

 _Dear Maddie,_

 _Very merry Christmas wish you,_

 _Captain Kate Beckett, Richard Castle and (little Castle baby ;D) Lily_

 _Ps.: If you want to grab a coffee together or something, call! (Xx Katie Becks)_

„Wow she's Captain now" Maddie said smiling from ear to ear. Now that she'd actually thought about it she would love to reconnect with her old friend. Aside from the disaster with Brant Edwards they had always been the best of friends and they'd always had so much fun.

Max studied his wife. She was smiling softly at the picture of her friend. They both didn't really have time to have friendships and people you met as an adult always wanted something from you anyway. There was just something about high school friendships that was special. Something pure and innocent.

Max stood and hugged her from behind, resting his hands on her belly. He read over her shoulder, his chin touching her shoulder.

„Call her" he told her and kissed her cheek. She leaned into the touch of his lips against her skin. „I'd like to meet them too. She seems to hold a special place in your heart. Maybe we can invite them for dinner after the holidays or something" Max suggested.

„Yeah, I'd love that" Maddie put the picture down on the table and turned in her husbands embrace. „I didn't realize how much I missed her until I saw that picture. She was my best friend all through high school and we always had such a good time"

She was smiling adorably nostalgic, Max thought and leaned into her to kiss her on the lips.

„I have to go to work now, honey. But I'll meet you at your doctor's office at 4 pm, right?" Max asked. They were going to find out their baby's gender today and he couldn't be more excited. They'd been trying so long and he'd almost given up but now he couldn't be happier. _They_ couldn't be happier.

„Yes, 4 pm" she agreed, kissing him good-bye.

He let go of her and made his way to the door. She watched him while he put on his shoes and coat.

„See you later, honey. Call your high school friend" he gave her a soft encouraging smile.

„I will" Maddie agreed.

O-o-o-o

„She's asleep" Kate grinned at Rick. He was sitting in his chair in his office and was writing…okay, maybe he hadn't been writing. But really, watching cute videos of penguins was important research for his book since the murder happened in a zoo.

„Procrastinating again?" she asked as she approached him from behind.

„What?" Castle asked innocently. „No" he denied and closed YouTube.

Kate kissed his neck. „Sure babe" she laughed and her hot breath against his skin was doing funny things to him. He turned his chair and pulled her sideways into his lap.

„I know a better way for you to procrastinate than watch stupid videos" she told him and closed the distance between their faces. She immediately started kissing him. Since they became parents they didn't have that much time to … enjoy each other. So they really needed to use every single minute they got.

„Let's move this to the bedroom" he suggested after a few minutes, stood up and tugged her to the other room.

Kate started fumbling the buttons of her blouse open on the way. They couldn't waste any time if they wanted to use Lily's naptime efficiently.

„We have like an hour before she wakes up" she told him, shrugging her shirt down her shoulders and letting it glide to the floor in front of the bed.

Having reached their destination Rick pulled her in for another long kiss. He laid her down on the bed and only broke the kiss so she could relieve him of his sweater. He started kissing her neck while she worked on removing his pants, missing the button every time he moved to a sensitive spot.

Finally she'd managed to open his pants when her phone on the nightstand started ringing.

Rick groaned. „Let it go to voicemail. You have today off." But he knew she couldn't do that. If it was the precinct there was a reason why they were calling their captain on her day off. If it wasn't she could let it go to voicemail and they could resume where they had stopped.

She smiled apologetically. He pulled back to give her room to move. She stretched her arm to get her phone.

„Oh" she bit her lip. „It's Maddie" She glanced from the screen to Castle (his lips to be precise). Her lip was trapped between her teeth and her eyes were vacillating.

A few days back they'd written their Christmas cards and Kate had been nervous about sending one to her old friend. She hadn't seen her in seven years and Castle knew that she really wanted to reconnect.

He gave her a quick kiss before he rolled over to his side. „Take it" he encouraged.

She smiled gratefully at him before she accepted the call.

„Beckett"

„Hey Becks" chirped Maddie from the other end. „Is this a bad time?"

Kate watched Castle getting up and pulling his sweater back on. „No, not at all" she replied. Thankfully they hadn't gotten to the part yet where she could only moan breathlessly and was incapable of speaking full sentences.

„Great" Maddie exclaimed and Kate smiled at her enthusiastic tone. She accepted Rick's kiss to the top of her head and nodded when he told her he would be in his office.

„So little Castle babies, huh?" Kate could hear the smug grin over the line. She rolled her eyes. But she knew that would happen and she couldn't be happier that Maddie had been right all along.

„Straight to the point" Kate laughed. „But no. Not little Castle _babies._ Only one. One little Castle baby" she corrected and smiled at the thought of their perfect daughter.

„Semantics, Becks" Maddie said. „I was still right"

Kate rolled her eyes again. „Yes, your were" she agreed. „How's life been treating you?"

„Great lately" Maddie said and her tone was softer than before. She sounded happy, Kate thought. „We have so much to catch up on. I'd love to take you up on that offer for coffee. Are you free sometime this week? I know it's right before Christmas and if you are too busy I can just tell you on the phone but you know me. I like to talk in person…"

„Today is my last free day before Christmas" Kate interrupted her rumbling. „We could meet for coffee right now if you are free too?"

„Yeah, that would be great" Maddie agreed.

„Okay, let me just check with Castle" she told her, got up from the bed and walked over to the office.

She held her phone to her body to cover the mouthpiece while talking to her husband. Only now did she notice that she was still missing her shirt.

„Castle?" At her voice he looked up from his laptop. He had actually been writing.

„Yeah?" he asked, still typing away on his keyboard.

„Do you mind if I head out to meet Maddie for coffee?" she asked.

„Of course not, Kate" he looked up from his screen and smiled at her. „Go meet your friend. I'll write and play with Lily."

Just when she pulled the phone back to her ear he said with waggling eyebrows: „And tonight we can continue where we were so rudely interrupted." Kate flushed. Hopefully Maddie didn't catch that over the phone.

She didn't comment so maybe she hadn't heard it.

„Will you bring Lily?" Maddie asked when they had agreed on a coffee shop.

„No, unless you want to meet a little later. She's napping right now" Kate told her.

„Oh" Maddie sounded disappointed. „I really would have loved to meet her. But I have an appointment later"

„Another time then" Kate said and they ended the call.

O-o-o-o-o

When Kate entered the cafe she immediately spotted Maddie's blond head on a table beside a window.

„Hey Maddie" she greeted with a large smile and hugged her friend when she got up from her seat. After they pulled apart Maddie hastily sat down again. Kate took the place opposite from her.

„It's so good to see you, Katie Becks" Maddie ginned. „You look great, by the way"

„Thanks, you do too" she gave back. And she was right. Maddie was glowing with happiness and Kate would find out soon why that was.

The waiter approached and asked for their order.

„Grande skim latte with two pumps sugar free vanilla, please"

„And for you ma'am?" the waiter asked Maddie.

„Just a hot chocolate for me, please" she told him, he nodded and went off.

„Hot chocolate?" Kate asked bewildered.

Maddie shrugged but couldn't hold back the huge proud grin. Kate of course identified it for what it was.

„Really?" she asked and Maddie nodded, smiling the happiest smile Kate had ever seen on her.

„Congratulations" Kate was truly happy for her friend. They'd never been girls who had talked about their imaginations for marriage or children. They'd been young and marriage and kids had seemed way to bourgeois to them. But now that Kate knew what it felt like to hold this tiny little human being in your arms that you created with the person you loved most in the world she couldn't be happier for her friend.

„Thank you" Maddie replied.

„How far along are you?" Kate asked, she hadn't noticed when they had hugged but then again… she had been too busy being happy about seeing her friend after such a long time. And Maddie was wearing a loose blouse and had sat down again so fast.

„Almost five months. We are going to find out the gender later today" Maddie told her proudly.

„You _think_ you are going to find out. Lily didn't want us to know for the whole pregnancy. She always placed herself so we couldn't see anything on the ultrasound. Castle was going crazy" Kate laughed. „It was like she didn't want us to buy her anything pink or something"

Maddie laughed. „Just like you, huh? The Becks I knew in high school wouldn't wear anything too girly either"

„Castle keeps saying she's just like me. Last week he wanted me to believe that she rolled her eyes at him" she rolled her eyes at that which made Maddie laugh out loud. „She's seven months old. She can't roll her eyes yet. Oh… and the boys keep calling her Mini-Beckett."

There was unmissable pride in her voice and Maddie envied her. She couldn't wait to meet her own baby.

„But enough about me for now. Who is we?"

„What?" Maddie asked confused.

„You said _we are going to find out the gender._ So who is _we_?"

„Oh right. His name is Max. We met at a seminar for work. We've been married five years but you'd know that if you'd come to the wedding. I sent you an invitation. You never answered" Maddie's tone wasn't accusing, just curious.

„When was that? I can't remember getting an invitation."

„July 2011" Maddie said.

„Oh" Kate's eyes lost their happiness for a moment. „I've just been shoot back then"

„What?" Maddie exclaimed shocked.

„Don't worry. Everything's good now. I've been lucky. A lot of times actually" Kate shrugged. „I can tell you about my close calls with death over the years some other time. But now I want to hear everything about Max."

„He's great. We met at that seminar for successful restaurant management and started dating right after. God Becks, I don't think I've ever been in love before. At least not like that" Maddie's eyes were dreamy and Kate smiled.

„I know the feeling"

„You do, don't you?" Maddie asked mischievously. „Anyway. He proposed, we married, we were happy. But then we started trying for a baby" Maddie's eyes grew a little sad.

„Wait, right after the wedding? Five years back?" Kate asked.

„Yeah" Maddie nodded. „And it just wouldn't work. In the beginning it was okay. We knew it could take time. But time went flying and I still wasn't pregnant and we both wanted it so much. We were both so frustrated and fought over anything. Constantly. And then one night I was so angry over such a stupid little thing I yelled at him that we should just get a divorce." Maddie's sad gaze bored into Kate's. She hadn't really had someone to talk to about this and she realized now how badly she would have needed that at the time. „He forgot to buy milk on his way home. Fucking milk, Katie, and I wanted a divorce for it. Of course as soon as the words had left my mouth I wanted to take them back"

„Know that feeling too" Kate interjected while she reached to take Maddie's hand in a comforting gesture.

„He looked so shocked, so crushed and I just hid in the bedroom. I just cried, hating myself, hating life. I heard the front door closing and I thought we were done. That I had broken us up and I started sobbing like I haven't since high school. But he'd just gone to the grocery store to pick the stupid milk up. I can't tell you how much I hate that beverage now" she chuckled a little at that.

„When he came back he heard me sobbing. I didn't hear him coming back home but suddenly he was there, holding me, apologizing, kissing my tears, telling me that he loved me. I apologized and that was the first time in years that we hadn't had sex to conceive. _In years,_ Becks! And that was when I finally got pregnant"

„And now?" Kate asked.

Maddie smiled. „We are so happy, Kate. As soon as there were two lines on that stick we stopped fighting all together. He is such a peace-loving guy and everything I ask of him he does. We just were so frustrated. But now everything is perfect."

„I'm happy for you" Kate told her sincerely.

„How long did you try for Lily?" Maddie asked.

Kate laughed. „We didn't"

Maddie shot her an inquisitive look.

„After we got shot last summer…" Kate started to elaborate.

„You got shot a second time?" Maddie asked horrified. „And Rick too?"

„Ah yes" Kate said somewhat embarrassed. „Anyway, after I got shot they decided at the hospital that taking the pill was too much for my body at the time and when we were both finally cleared for sex, luckily around the same time, contraceptives were the last thing we thought about."

„The doctors weren't too happy about the pregnancy because it was pure stress for my still healing body. And I needed to stay at home and in bed most of the time. Of course I didn't like that thought too much but we made the best of it, spending some time in the Hamptons and with the start of the second trimester I was allowed desk duty again."

„I can imagine. You are quite the workaholic" Maddie smirked „You are still working, right? Or are you taking a break to stay with Lily?"

Kate shook her head. „I'm working. Castle is taking care of Lily. He loves it." Her eyes sparkled with happiness when she thought about her husband and their baby. „I've never seen him that happy. He loves everything about it. He's singing and humming and reading and babbling to her all the time. It's adorable. He even loves going to the playground with her" Kate shuddered.

„What's wrong with going to the playground?" Maddie asked. Surely it was nice to take your kid to a place where it could meet other children?

„Nothing" Kate backpedaled but Maddie shot her a disbelieving look. „It's not the playground. Or the kids. It's the other parents. The mothers. They _judge"_ Kate's brows furrowed in distaste.

„They are nasty about everything other parents do. What they feed their kids, which school they put their kids into, what clothes their kids should wear. Just about everything. It's terrible. And god help you if you are not a stay-at-home-mom. They don't even stop a second to think about that their way of living isn't the only one. The first…"

and last time to be honest, Kate thought.

„…time I went to a playground with Lily I talked to a couple of moms and they were talking about mother-child bindings and that it's impossible to form one if you are not around your baby 24/7 for the first year. And I _knew_ that's not true. But it didn't stop me from feeling terrible. When I got back home I was questioning everything. I was upset, Lily was upset and by the time Castle got home from his book signing we were both crying. It took him an hour to get out of me what was wrong. And god I hate myself for letting them get to me but they did and I felt so insecure. It was terrible."

Kate took a deep breath. Wow, she was still pretty upset about this. She'd thought she'd gotten over it. Apparently not.

„I'm facing criminals for a living. But I'm terrified of other mothers. Can you believe that, Maddie?" she chuckled.

„You seem pretty traumatized about playgrounds, Becks" Maddie stated. „Maybe we can cure you once I have this child. Go there together, show them how awesome we are. Plus I doubt that every one is like that. Maybe you've just been to the wrong playground"

„Yeah, I'd like that" Kate smiled. She hadn't really told Castle that she still wasn't comfortable about going to the playground. Which she knew was ridiculous but she just didn't really feel confident to go there. Lily was too small for the playground yet anyway.

Only Castle always sat on the swing with her, used the slide with her…

„Anyway" Kate shrugged her playground issues off. „How are you and Max going to balance parenthood and work? What does Max do anyway? I forgot to ask earlier."

„He's got five restaurants. He's in the process of opening a sixth. But that should be settled by the time the baby arrives. Then we are both stepping back a little, giving up some responsibility to our co-managers. We contemplated daycare. But that's not really what we need since both of us need to work in the evenings. And our parents are excited to help out. So when we both have to be at our respective restaurants they will probably arguing who gets to watch the baby."

„Sounds like a good plan" Kate told her. „And Max has six restaurants?" Kate asked dumbstruck.

Maddie grinned. „Soon. I've got three by now by the way. I've only ever seen you in one of them. And that was only once" she said with a fake-pout. „You should come to the opening of Max's new one. I can put you on the list. You can even bring Lily"

„Oh, that would be nice. But we are not bringing Lily. She hates restaurants. We don't know why but everytime we take her to one she starts crying very loudly. Very. And she won't calm down until one of us takes her outside. But we'd love to come. We don't go out that often anymore. We've got date night once a week. Castle's mom and my dad are taking turns watching Lily but most of the time we just stay home. Cook together, eat, dance sometimes…" Kate drifted of.

„Have sex" Maddie added with a mischievous smirk.

„Yeah, that too" Kate confirmed with a light blush.

„Sorry for interrupting you earlier by the way" Maddie grinned.

„What are you talking about?" Kate played dumb.

„Please" Maddie rolled her eyes. „I heard Castle's comment"

„Fine" Kate huffed. „Maybe I wouldn't have _minded_ if you'd called half an hour later"

Maddie laughed.

But then she looked at her watch and her eyes widened.

„Crap" she cursed. „I have to run, sorry Becks."

„Of course, no problem, Maddie" Kate smiled at her friend. „I'll check with Castle and then we can schedule a date to have dinner together?"

„I'd love that" Maddie smiled back.

Then they hugged goodbye and Maddie hurried to get to her doctor's appointment. Kate paid for their drinks and went home to enjoy the rest of her day with her family.

o-o-o-o-o

I always liked Maddie as a character and wish there were more stories that include her. So I wrote that little story a while ago and decided today to share it with you. I hope I got her character right. Please let me know.


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